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Well, probably not.Usually, at this time of year, parents are rejoicing and the kids are wondering how the summer passed by so quickly. You've probably loaded up on backpacks, notebooks and a whole new wardrobe for the kids, glad to send them off to learn something more than X Box skills.While most of the country goes back to school right after Labor Day, down here in Florida the kids went back this week with most returning to classes this past Tuesday. The private schools here actually started about 2 1/2 weeks ago.My 14 year old daughter was one of those who went back this week. Tuesday was her first day of High School. Great school and great I.B. program, a program she's been in since 6th grade.Many parents have been there...watching their kids with pride, snickering quietly as you're reminded of your own youth. I can't help but laugh at myself when I recall my first experience with High School. I thought I was so cool and I was completely oblivious to my own awkward adolescence.Keep in mind, the styles were a lot different back then, for that was the early 80's man! Porky's Revenge was the hot movie back then.My hair was long (really long!), and I mostly remember what I wore on my first day of 9th grade. Brown Corduroy Levi's Bell Bottom Pants and a matching Brown Corduroy Levi's Jacket...and I think a Journey concert shirt...or maybe it was AC/DC. Even back then, I couldn't believe how cool I was! Especially after I painted the Rush 2112 album cover on the back of my jacket. I was damn near legendary!...in my own mind.(If my dad emails me a pic from my high school years, I'll post it here for all to ridicule!)Wow, times sure were different back then, weren't they? I would imagine my daughter in 25 years will look back at her first week of high school and have similar thoughts and laugh at her own awkward adolescence.Well, probably not.She'll have a slightly different recollection of her own generation's version of Porky's Revenge era and her first week of high school.Today, after just 4 days of school, two of them orientation and the other two a real teaching experience, the kid is in bed, 103 degree fever and a solid case of Swine Flu. (I'm not going to bother with the H1N1 nomenclature in this post).She won't be seeing her new friends and classmates at school for a few days. If we follow the CDC guidelines, she probably won't be back to school until the week after next.It saddens me that she has to miss such an important social aspect of her youth. By the time she gets back, it'll be like the new kid who just moved to town half way through the school year. The outsider trying to fit in.Well, probably not.I guess we'll find out next week just how many other kids fell ill over the weekend and are missing school next week too. In fact, the kids who don't get sick might end up in the minority.A local private high school, Tampa Catholic has had a high degree of absences since they started session a couple weeks ago. Over 20% absent this past week. Even the opposing football team that was supposed to play them yesterday refused, citing Swine Flu fears for their players.http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/swine-flu-brings-mass-absences-at-tampa-catholic-high/1031419But no big deal right? People will get sick, no permanent damage will be done, this whole thing will blow over in no time, right?Well, probably not.You may know, I wrote a lengthy (understatement) blog post about 10 days ago on my perspective of Swine Flu and why I thought/think this may be a much bigger issue than people realize.http://www.fohboh.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1411008%3ABlogPost%3A322344Flu is wiping out school schedules and it's 90 degrees outside! Just imagine what this bugger will do in cooler 'flu friendly' weather.As I accurately predicted several days before the government admitted it, the vaccine that's been promised is basically useless. It will be available and effective about two months too late.Well, probably not.I'm not so sure the vaccine will be effective at all. Again, as I accurately predicted, this virus is mutating. Want proof?Here's today's news from the World Health Organization:"WHO Warns of Severe Form of H1N1 Virus"Doctors are reporting a severe form of H1N1 that goes straight to the lungs, causing severe illness in otherwise healthy young people and requiring expensive hospital treatment, the World Health Organization said Friday.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,544262,00.html?test=latestnewsI have been batting 1000 with all my predictions lately. In fact, I am convinced that foxnews.com reporters have been using my previous blog post as ideas for their ongoing coverage of the pandemic. Their front page stories on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday all echoed stories and perspectives I posted almost a full week earlier in my blog.I also don't think it was a coincidence that I exposed the vaccine debacle and the fact that the vaccine missed the boat by a full two months, and 4 days later, the CDC, NIH, White House and Homeland Security hastily called a news conference and told everyone they missed the boat on the vaccine and to prepare for the worst. (Remember the movie Deep Impact?)Well, here is some more breaking news and exposure of incompetence for you.In my opinion, this may even qualify as willful negligence...and if you have a child about to return to school...you need to fight to change this.Every scientist, doctor, nurse and medical professional KNOWS that this virus is spread more often and effectively by contaminated surfaces than by sneezing or coughing. A cough or sneeze is only good for about 3 feet of range. But everything the virus lands on (um..let's say a school desk?) will host the virus for countless hours, waiting for its next victim. The next sucker who has that seat in the next class wins the lucky prize.Sure, washing hands is effective prevention from contaminating yourself and others....but guess what. It's useless to wash your hands before a class, then sit down at a desk that's caked in virus. You're contaminated all over again...and to makes matters worse, the kid now has a false sense of security, so he's likely to touch his eyes, nose, mouth...and infect himself.The absolute prudent measure is for faculty to sanitize desks and doorknobs between each and every class if they want to be proactive in preventing the spread of this virus. Kind of like a cruise-ship after a norovirus outbreak, but more often....and not everything, but definitely the desk which a kid is going to sit at for an hour.You're not going to believe this though....here's what the CDC advised the schools to do...and not do! This is an outrage and needs to change immediately!QUOTE"CDC does not believe any additional disinfection of environmental surfaces beyond the recommended routine cleaning is required."That quote comes directly from the Technical Report for State and Local Public Health Officials and School Administrators on CDC Guidance for School (K-12) Responses to Influenza during the 2009-2010 School Year.It's what every school in the country was guided to do.Recommended routine cleaning is a sanitizing regimen either in the morning before school, or afterward...basically one time a day....which is completely useless, except to maybe the kids in their 10 minute homeroom class. That's it!Basically, every single school kid is being condemned to infection!It is the last sentence in this paragraph:"The American Academy of Pediatrics provides guidance for school cleaning and sanitizing which is appropriate for influenza. Schools should regularly clean all areas and items that are more likely to have frequent hand contact (for example, keyboards or desks) and also clean these areas immediately when visibly soiled. Use the cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas. Some states and localities have laws and regulations mandating specific cleaning products be used in schools. School officials should contact their state health department or department of environmental protection for additional guidance. Schools should ensure that custodial staff and others (such as classroom teachers) who use cleaners or disinfectants read and understand all instruction labels and understand safe and appropriate use. Instructional materials and training should be provided in languages other than English as locally appropriate. CDC does not believe any additional disinfection of environmental surfaces beyond the recommended routine cleaning is required."The entire guidance report can be found herehttp://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/schools/technicalreport.htmThis policy needs to change and it needs to change now. Protect your kids!...It's too late for mine.Contact your schools, your congressperson, whoever you need to.....and tell them this policy is faulted, lacking and dangerous.Tell them you insist on desks being sanitized between each and every single class. I'm willing to bet this will result in a measurable reduction in flu spread at our schools. It's especially critical in light of the fact that this virus is mutating and getting more dangerous. You can help....spread the word and send this blog link to every parent and school official you know, or at least cut n paste the relevant part....and if I see this story posted on foxnews.com, I won't even complain...but a little credit from their thieving reporters would be nice. At least I link to them when I 'borrow' their stories.

(I find this interesting because how can they say anything worked when the end result is what we are experiencing right now?)

By MARTHA MENDOZA (AP) – 1 day ago

MEXICO CITY — Mexico is preparing for a second wave of swine flu, looking at what worked and what didn't last spring when it banned everything from dining out to attending school in an effort to control the virus.

As the Northern Hemisphere flu season begins, the rest of the world is also studying Mexico's experience, looking for measures to replicate and costly mistakes to avoid.

So what worked? Public awareness; rapid diagnosis, treatment and quarantine; and a near-compulsive outbreak of hand-washing.

What didn't? Travel bans, school closures, overuse of antibiotics and those flimsy paper face masks that tangled hair, slid down necks and hid the beautiful smiles of this gargantuan city.

When swine flu first flared up in Mexico in April, the government erred on the side of caution, closing schools and museums, banning public gatherings, playing soccer games to empty stadiums and telling people not to shake hands or kiss one another on the cheek. This bustling city of 18 million became eerily hollow.

Mexican health officials say they made the right call.

"Since we were the first country affected by the flu, we didn't know the possible magnitude and severity, so we took measures that we now know can be (focused)," said Dr. Pablo Kuri, the health secretary's special influenza adviser.

In hindsight, Mexico's most effective action — one now emulated around the world — was immediately telling its own citizens when the new virus was detected.

Not every country has been so candid when facing an epidemic: China was heavily criticized for its slow response to SARS in 2003, while Argentina refused to declare a national public health emergency when swine flu flared there in July.

But Mexico's openness didn't come cheap: Economists say the outbreak cost the country billions of dollars, mostly in losses from tourism.

"Mexico shared information early and frequently," said Dr. Jon Andrus at the Pan American Health Organization's headquarters in Washington. "Mexico did this at great cost to its economy, but it was the right thing to do."

At the height of the epidemic in March, you could hardly make it a block in Mexico City without a masked public health worker, maitre d', bus driver or store owner squeezing a dollop of antiseptic gel onto your hands.

Health experts say hand-washing offered the best defense — while the masks probably did little to stop the virus from spreading. Masks are now advised only for health care workers and people who are already infected.

Fear also left behind a cleaner city: Crews now regularly scrub subways and buses, park benches and offices — something almost unheard of before the epidemic.

"Clearly, millions of Mexicanos wore masks this spring everywhere they went, but H1N1 continued to spread," said Laurie Garrett, a senior fellow at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations. "It now seems clear that the best personal protections are regular hand-washing, avoiding crowded places, and — when it is available — vaccination."

Many Mexicans wait until they suffer full-blown symptoms before going to a doctor, if at all. Often, people self-diagnose and go to a pharmacy to treat themselves since few drugs require a prescription. Since April, however, certain anti-flu drugs are distributed only at hospitals.

Millions of uniformed Mexican children were greeted with a dash of anti-bacterial gel as they returned to school last Monday. Classes were postponed until mid-September in southern Chiapas state because of an uptick in swine flu cases in the past month. Chiapas has had 3,400 swine flu cases to date, the most in the country.

Schools nationwide are checking for possible signs of swine flu among children and teachers and are sending home anyone who seems sick. They also have added new curriculum guidelines to ensure children learn about personal hygiene and basic sanitation.

But this time, schools will be closed only if so many sick children or teachers get sick that education is compromised. Plans are already under way to continue lessons at home.

"We aren't going to panic, but we are being more careful here this year," said Cecilia McGregor, spokeswoman for Colegio Ciudad de Mexico, an 1,100-student private school in Mexico City.

Janitors are required to wash doorknobs every two hours, she said, and an on-campus doctor was performing checks.

Despite all the precautions, Mexico's health advisers say the most important lesson they have learned about swine flu is that in most cases, it's fairly mild.

Swine flu caused 164 deaths in three months in Mexico, where tobacco-related illnesses kill that number every day.

Some random quotes from the article linked above...(my comments in CAPS)

As schools across the country start the academic year, many questions remain on the minds of parents who are considering having their children vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus.
H1N1 has infected well over 1 million people in the United States, and it is now the CDC's No. 1 priority. The World Health Organization predicts a third of the world's population will eventually be infected.

Flu is one of the most complex and confusing of all viruses. Others, like measles, stay the same year after year. But because there are so many variants and sub-types of influenza, people have to get vaccinated every one to three years. Influenza viruses are genetically unstable, and that causes them to mutate.
Each year, health officials decide in January or February which flu strains will be included in the seasonal flu vaccine. But there is a chance that by the time it becomes available in September, the viruses may have changed.

This flu season, there will be two vaccines available: the standard seasonal flu vaccine, which protects against three different strains of the virus, and new H1N1 vaccine.
“For most people under 50, they’ll need two shots of H1N1 vaccine three-to four weeks apart,” said Gross. “So their immune system will be primed with the first shot and completed with the second shot.”

Like the seasonal influenza vaccine, the side effects associated with the H1N1 flu vaccine are minimal.
AN AMAZING QUOTE SINCE THIS HAS YET TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Many Americans are concerned about the safety and efficacy of the newly developed H1N1 flu shot because of a similar vaccine that was linked to a swine flu-like outbreak in the 1970s.
In 1976, when 40 million people received the H1N1 vaccination over a period of a few months, the incidence of Guillain-Barre syndrome was about one out of 150,000, Gross said. This compares to about 1 in a million people who develop the syndrome from the seasonal flu shot.
SO 1 IN 150,000. GOOD ENOUGH ODDS FOR YOU OR YOUR KID? NOT ME OR MINE.

Dr. Peter Gross, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey....
The new H1N1 vaccine is being vigorously tested before it will be dispensed to the public, which should guard against a similar Guillain-Barre outbreak this time around. However, what, if any, rare side effects will occur will be unknown until hundreds of thousands or even millions of people have received the vaccine, Gross said.
WHAT AN ABSURD STATEMENT! DOES HE EVEN REALIZE HE JUST CONTRADICTED HIMSELF?

If you had a documented case of H1N1 during the 2008-2009 flu season, you probably have partial immunity. But if the strain changes between now and December, you could be susceptible to contracting the new virus without any immunity.
RIGHT..AND THE VACCINE WILL BE USELESS!

Many people who were around during the swine flu outbreak in 1976 have been found to have an immunity to H1N1. Also, people over the age of 50 who have been getting an annual flu shot for most of their adult lives (all flu shots contain some form of the H1N1 virus) also appear to have partial immunity.
SAY WHAT? THIS MAKES NO SENSE. ONLY 1 DEATH AND 13 CONFIRMED CASES AT FORT DIX. NOBODY ELSE WAS EXPOSED OR CONTRACTED THE VIRUS..SO THIS STATEMENT HAS NO CREDIBILITY.

On Sunday, health officials reported that an estimated 10 percent of the population in New York City was infected with the virus in the spring. While not all cases of H1N1 flu virus were documented, some people may be surprised to find that they have partial immunity when the virus re-emerges as predicted in the fall
USELESS COMMENT AND PURE SPECULATION

Doctors strongly advise getting the seasonal flu vaccine because while a resurgence of the H1N1 flu virus may be on the horizon, there may be other strains of flu making their rounds, and you don’t want to leave yourself susceptible to them.
OF COURSE THEY DO. THEY GET PAID TO GIVE THEM, THERE ARE FREEZERS FULL OF WORTHLESS VACCINE THAT DON'T HAVE A LONG SHELF LIFE...OH AND BIG PHARMA PAYS A LOT OF MONEY TO DC LOBBYISTS TO PROMOTE THEIR GOODS.
...AND THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT EVERY TIME YOU GET A SHOT AND THEN CATCH A VIRUS (SICK OR NOT) YOU GIVE THE VIRUS ONE MORE CHANCE TO MUTATE AND RESIST THE VACCINE.

Paul
I'd heard of that recently as well and found it interesting.
I wouldn't say 'silly'...I don't think anything to combat the spread of virus is silly....and it would be hard to 'lick your elbow', wouldn't it? lol

Have you tried sneezing into your armpit? That might work too. I say this because fiddling with sleeves is fairly common and a contaminated elbow area is easy to touch...not to mention, a lot of servers like to show their skills by carrying several plates layered up the arm. (you've certainly done that a million times....and the larger carrying trays also often are rested/secured against the elbow as well.

I'd go with the armpit....if, and only if, you can't do the two hand covered sneeze into a disposable tissue....which, with immediate hand washing afterward, is still the best thing.

Steve...
Sorry about your daughter's state!
What an irony.
So here's the latest technique I've learned: if you have to cough... cough in the elbow of your flexed arm. That way all the germs aren't blasted all over your hands.
You still need to wash your hands.
Maybe a llittle silly, but I have never heard of this technique before and it seems so practical!
Paul

I had that headband custom made by a friend who was a really good artist and made awesome jewelry on Queen St West in Toronto.
He had a friend who was an eye doctor, and he would get all the reject fake eyes for free and make custom jewelery with them.
He had one that was my exact eye color, so I told him I wanted a 3rd eye.
Only one like it ever made. It cost me $50 which was a lot of money for a 16 year old....